Events from the year 1878 in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Incumbents

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Patrice de MacMahon, Duke of Magenta Marie Edme Patrice Maurice de MacMahon, marquis de MacMahon, duc de Magenta (; 13 June 1808 – 17 October 1893) was a French general and politician, with the distinction of Marshal of France. He served as Chief of State of France from 1873 to 1 ...

President of the Council of Ministers The President of the Council of Ministers (sometimes titled Chairman of the Council of Ministers) is the most senior member of the cabinet in the executive branch of government in some countries. Some Presidents of the Council of Ministers are th ...

Jules Armand Dufaure Jules Armand Stanislas Dufaure (; 4 December 1798 – 28 June 1881) was a French statesman. Biography Dufaure was born at Saujon, Charente-Maritime, and began his career as an advocate at Bordeaux, where he won a great reputation by his oratoric ...

Events

* 1 May–10 November – Exposition Universelle in Paris; the head of the

Statue of Liberty The Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''; French: ''La Liberté éclairant le monde'') is a List of colossal sculpture in situ, colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor in New York City, in the U ...

is a principal exhibit. * May –

Chemins de fer de l'État The Chemins de fer de l'État ("State Railways"), often referred to in France as the Réseau de l'État ("State Network"), was an early state-owned French railway company. History The company was established by state order of the Third Republ ...

formed to take over ten small railway companies operating between the

Loire The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhône ...

and

Garonne The Garonne (, also , ; Occitan, Catalan, Basque, and es, Garona, ; la, Garumna or ) is a river of southwest France and northern Spain. It flows from the central Spanish Pyrenees to the Gironde estuary at the French port of Bordeaux – a ...

Births

January to June

* 5 February –

Jean Becquerel Jean Antoine Edmond Marie Becquerel (5 February 1878 – 4 July 1953) was a French physicist, the son of Antoine-Henri Becquerel. He worked on a range of experimental physics topics including magnetic effects on the optical properties of materials ...

, physicist (died 1953) * 5 February –

André Citroën André-Gustave Citroën (; 5 February 1878 – 3 July 1935) was a French industrialist and the founder of French automaker Citroën. He is remembered chiefly for the make of car named after him, but also for his application of double helical ...

, automobile pioneer (died 1935) * 21 February –

Mirra Alfassa Mirra Alfassa (21 February 1878 – 17 November 1973), known to her followers as The Mother, was a spiritual guru, occultist and yoga teacher, and a collaborator of Sri Aurobindo, who considered her to be of equal yogic stature to him and ...

, spiritual leader (died 1973) * 28 February –

Pierre Fatou Pierre Joseph Louis Fatou (28 February 1878 – 9 August 1929) was a French mathematician and astronomer. He is known for major contributions to several branches of analysis. The Fatou lemma and the Fatou set are named after him. Biography P ...

, mathematician (died

1929 This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholic ...

) * 24 March –

René Baudichon René Baudichon (24 March 1878 – 1963) was a French sculptor and medallist. The artist was born in Tours, France, studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in his native town, and graduated from the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He is known for ...

, sculptor and medallist (died

1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cov ...

) * 2 April –

Émilie Charmy Émilie Charmy (pronounced "shar-mee") (April 2, 1878 – June 7, 1974) was an artist in France's early avant-garde. She worked closely with Fauve artists like Henri Matisse, and was active in exhibiting her artworks in Paris, particularly ...

, artist (died 1974) * 17 April –

Albert Canet Henry Albert Canet (17 April 1878 – 25 July 1930) was a male tennis player from France. He competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden where he won two bronze medals. In the singles division, he succeeded in beating Norwegian Con ...

, tennis player * 3 May –

Jean Chiappe Jean Baptiste Pascal Eugène Chiappe (3 May 1878 – 27 November 1940) was a high-ranking French civil servant. Chiappe was director of the ''Sûreté générale'' in the 1920s. He was subsequently given the post of Préfet de police in the 19 ...

, civil servant (died 1940) * 26 May –

Charles Burguet Charles Burguet (26 May 1878 – 9 June 1946) was a French director best known for his silent films of the late 1910s and early 1920s. He directed well over 30 films between 1912 and 1929. Selected filmography * ''The Mysteries of Paris'' ...

, film director (died

1946 Events January * January 6 - The 1946 North Vietnamese parliamentary election, first general election ever in Vietnam is held. * January 7 – The Allies recognize the Austrian republic with its 1937 borders, and divide the country into f ...

) * 28 May –

Paul Pelliot Paul Eugène Pelliot (28 May 187826 October 1945) was a French Sinologist and Orientalist best known for his explorations of Central Asia and his discovery of many important Chinese texts such as the Dunhuang manuscripts. Early life and caree ...

, sinologist and explorer (died

1945 1945 marked the end of World War II and the fall of Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan. It is also the only year in which nuclear weapons have been used in combat. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. Januar ...

) * 8 June –

Yvonne Prévost Paule Marie Yvonne Prévost Boppe (8 June 1878 – 3 March 1942) was a French tennis player at the end of the 19th century. She won the French Women's Singles Championship in 1900.

, tennis player (died

1942 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Declaration by United Nations is signed by China, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union, and 22 other nations, in wh ...

)

July to December

* 22 July –

Lucien Febvre Lucien Paul Victor Febvre (, ; 22 July 1878 – 11 September 1956) was a French historian best known for the role he played in establishing the Annales School of history. He was the initial editor of the '' Encyclopédie française'' together wi ...

, social historian (died 1956) * 16 August –

Léon Binoche Léon Binoche (16 August 1878 – 28 August 1962) was a French rugby union player who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics. He was a member of the French rugby union team, which won the gold medal. His great-niece is the actress Juliette Bi ...

, rugby union player (died 1962) * 2 September –

Maurice René Fréchet Maurice may refer to: People *Saint Maurice (died 287), Roman legionary and Christian martyr *Maurice (emperor) or Flavius Mauricius Tiberius Augustus (539–602), Byzantine emperor *Maurice (bishop of London) (died 1107), Lord Chancellor and Lo ...

mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, structure, space, models, and change. History On ...

(died 1973) * 15 October –

Paul Reynaud Paul Reynaud (; 15 October 1878 – 21 September 1966) was a French politician and lawyer prominent in the interwar period, noted for his stances on economic liberalism and militant opposition to Germany. Reynaud opposed the Munich Agreement of ...

, politician and lawyer (died 1966) * 17 October –

Henri Mulet Henri Gabriel Mulet (17 October 1878 – 20 September 1967) was a French composer, pipe and reed organist, and cellist. Biography Mulet was born on 17 October 1878 in Paris. His father Gabriel Léon Mulet was choirmaster of the Basilica of Sacr ...

organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ (music), organ. An organist may play organ repertoire, solo organ works, play with an musical ensemble, ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumentalist, instrumental ...

and

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

(died 1967) * 14 November –

Julie Manet Julie Manet (14 November 1878 – 14 July 1966) was a French painter, model, diarist, and art collector. Biography Born in Paris, Manet was the daughter and only child of artist Berthe Morisot and Eugène Manet, younger brother of painter Édouar ...

, painter and art collector (died 1966) * 23 November –

André Caplet André Caplet (23 November 1878 – 22 April 1925) was a French composer and conductor of classical music. He was a friend of Claude Debussy and completed the orchestration of several of Debussy's compositions as well as arrangements of sever ...

, composer and conductor (died

1925 Events January * January 1 ** The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini makes a pivotal speech in the Italia ...

)

Full date unknown

Georges Garnier Georges Garnier (1878 – 1936) was a French football player who competed in the 1900 Olympic Games The 1900 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1900, link=no), today officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad () ...

, soccer player (died

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...

)

Deaths

* 7 January –

François-Vincent Raspail François-Vincent Raspail, L.L.D., M.D. (25 January 1794 – 7 January 1878) was a French chemist, naturalist, physician, physiologist, attorney, and socialist politician. Biography Raspail was born in Carpentras, Vaucluse. A member of th ...

chemist A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties. Chemists carefully describe th ...

physiologist Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemical a ...

and

socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...

(born 1794) * 8 January –

Charles Cousin-Montauban, Comte de Palikao Charles Guillaume Marie Appollinaire Antoine Cousin-Montauban, 1er Comte de Palikao (; 1796–1878) was a French general and statesman. Biography Montauban was born in Paris. As a cavalry officer he saw much service in Algeria, but he was still ...

, general and statesman (born

1796 Events January–March * January 16 – The first Dutch (and general) elections are held for the National Assembly of the Batavian Republic. (The next Dutch general elections are held in 1888.) * February 1 – The capital ...

) * 18 January –

Antoine César Becquerel Antoine César Becquerel (7 March 178818 January 1878) was a French scientist and a pioneer in the study of electric and luminescent phenomena. Life He was born at Châtillon-sur-Loing (today Châtillon-Coligny). After passing through the École ...

, scientist (born 1788) * 19 January –

Henri Victor Regnault Henri Victor Regnault (21 July 1810 – 19 January 1878) was a French chemist and physicist best known for his careful measurements of the thermal properties of gases. He was an early thermodynamicist and was mentor to William Thomson in ...

, chemist and physicist (born 1810) * 11 February –

Auguste Poulet-Malassis Paul Emmanuel Auguste Poulet-Malassis (16 March 1825 – 11 February 1878) was a French printer and publisher who lived and worked in Paris. He was a longstanding friend and the printer-publisher of Charles Baudelaire. Biography In his short six ...

printer Printer may refer to: Technology * Printer (publishing), a person or a company * Printer (computing), a hardware device * Optical printer for motion picture films People * Nariman Printer (fl. c. 1940), Indian journalist and activist * James ...

and

publisher Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...

(born 1825) * 19 February –

Charles-François Daubigny Charles-François Daubigny ( , , ; 15 February 181719 February 1878) was a French painter, one of the members of the Barbizon school, and is considered an important precursor of impressionism. He was also a prolific printmaker, mostly in etchin ...

, painter (born 1817) * 2 April – Louis Léonard de Loménie, author (born

1815 Events January * January 2 – Lord Byron marries Anna Isabella Milbanke in Seaham, county of Durham, England. * January 3 – Austria, Britain, and Bourbon-restored France form a secret defensive alliance treaty against Prussi ...

) * 8 April –

Eugène Belgrand Eugène Belgrand (23 April 1810 – 8 April 1878) was a French engineer who made significant contributions to the modernization of the Parisian sewer system during the 19th century rebuilding of Paris. Much of Belgrand's work remains in us ...

, engineer (born 1810) * 6 May – François Benoist,

and

(born 1794) * 25 May –

Antoine Laurent Dantan Antoine Laurent Dantan (8 December 1798 in Saint-Cloud – 25 May 1878 in Saint-Cloud) was a French academic sculptor, known as 'Dantan the Elder' to distinguish him from his slightly younger brother, Jean-Pierre Dantan (1800–1869), wh ...

, sculptor (born 1798) * 6 June –

Achille Baraguey d'Hilliers Louis-Achille Baraguey d'Hilliers (6 September 1795 – 6 June 1878), 1st Comte Baraguey d'Hilliers, was a Marshal of France and politician. Baraguey d'Hilliers was born in Paris, the son of the French revolutionary general Louis Baraguey d'H ...

Marshal of France Marshal of France (french: Maréchal de France, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1 ...

and politician (born 1795) * 12 June - George V of Hanover, German monarch of kingdom Hannover (born 1819) * 2 September – Garcin de Tassy, orientalist (born 1794) * 11 October –

Félix Dupanloup Mgr. Félix Antoine Philibert Dupanloup (3 January 180211 October 1878) was a French ecclesiastic. He was among the leaders of Liberal Catholicism in France. Biography Dupanloup was born at Saint-Félix, in Haute-Savoie, an illegitimate son of ...

Bishop of Orléans A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

(born 1802) * 31 October –

Louis-Antoine Garnier-Pagès Louis-Antoine Garnier-Pagès (16 February 1803 – 31 October 1878) was a French politician and active freemason who fought on the barricades during the revolution of July. Garnier-Pagès was born in Marseille. He served as a member of th ...

, politician (born 1803) * 8 November – Joseph-Epiphane Darras, historian (born 1825)

Full date unknown

* Amédée Faure, painter (born 1801) *

Nicolas Rémy Maire Nicolas Rémy Maire (1800–1878) was an illustrious French archetier. Maire was born in Mirecourt. He trained in the Lafleur workshop and served his apprenticeship in the workshop of Pajeot in Mirecourt. Maire's style remained close to t ...

, bow maker (born 1800)

References

{{Year in Europe, 1878 1870s in France